Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1887-04-28
CLEVELAND SAYS NO.
Sensational Statement Published by
Leading Western Democratic
Journal.
The President Will Not Under ANY
Circumstances Accept Second
Term.

A special dispatch from Washington to
the St Louis Republican gives this rather
startling information:
President Cleveland neither wishes nor will
accept denomination. This will be startling
information to the country. setting at rest the
important question OF a second term, now tho
subject OF Interested consideration In political
circles everywhere. The correspondent OF the
RepublicaH has the highest possible authority
for the statement, however, and it can DO de-
pended upon as strictly and entirely true. IL
comes from the President himself, who made
a declaration to this effect Wednesday to a
prominent Democratic Sc, Ntor from one OF the
Western States, who 10 oliI',sa Of especial in
timacy at the White H0use. The President
spoke with so much deliberate earnestness and
such studied emphasis that the Senator with
whom he was talking 10 certain there Is no rea-
son to question his perfect and entire sincerity.
His manner no less than hia words, indicated
that the declaration was simply the decision OF
a Arm resolution which had resulted from care
full consideration Of all phases OF the matter.
The President said he had not given any intima-
ton OF his feelings to tho representatives OF the
press for tho simple reason that he felt nothing
he might say about not wishing or being willing
TO take a second term would be believed Il
hardly expect anybody to believe It, he said
except my wife, but il is 80 none the less"
Continuing, he added: Everything do,
every appointment l make, thoy think it Is to
secure recollection. On the contrary. am count
ing the days that remain until my release from
office, Just as IL we're prisoner in confine-
ment." No man, he said could endure the
severe strain Of such labor at once physical
ana mental Tor a longer peflOu tnhn 1Our years
without risk of permanent injury TO his health
For these reasons he could not think OF a con-
tinuance Of his term beyond tho four years he
has now half completed Nothing, he said to
his Senatorial visitor, would persuade him TO
alter this resolution, which he had deliberately
formed He did not want a second term, and he
did not believe there were any obligations OF
public duty which could require him to forego
his personal wishes.
The Senator, who has repeated this signih-
cant conversation to his friends says that while
tho President WAS not talking for the purpose
of getting his views about reelection before the
public, there was no intimation that he desired
his words to be regarded confidential The
Senator has spoken freely Of the interview TO
personal friends without any injunction of So
crecy and it Is not unlikely this private dis
cuasion Of the matter will eventually pro-
woke some formal and public utterance by the
President The Senator is quito sure there
was none Of the coy strategy Of the artful
politician who thinks by this device to appear
as being sought by rather than seeking the Of
fco in this disavowal Of second-term ambition
every word is meant for just what it implies,
and that it will be wholly useless to plan the
noxt campaign on the basis OF q denomination
OF Cleveland.
The President was specific and decided in
saying he could not be induced by any possible
considerations to change his mind, that there
was nothing in tho way Of argument which
could be brought to bear to alter q resolution
determined alike by every consideration OF per-
sonal comfort and happiness and by the most
conscientious regard for what could fairly be
asked OF him as q patriotic servant OF the
| people.